From Muhammad Afiff Md Adnan
GIFU, Oct 1 (Bernama) -- Forward Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal emerged as the hero for Malaysia after his goals secured a 2-1 win over four-time champions South Korea in the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games men's hockey semi-final at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium today.
The victory sent Malaysia into the final against defending champions India on Saturday, with the gold medal also offering an automatic berth at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Azrai Aizad put Malaysia ahead in the 40th minute through a penalty corner before converting a penalty stroke three minutes later to double the national team's lead.
South Korea reduced the deficit through Lee Gangsan in the 42nd minute, but Malaysia held on to its 2-1 advantage until the final whistle.
India secured the other final berth after beating traditional rivals Pakistan 4-3 in the other semi-final, setting up a repeat of the 2018 Asian Games final between the two teams.
The run to the final also saw national head coach Brendon Carolan achieve the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) set for the team.
This will be Malaysia's third appearance in the Asian Games men's hockey final, after finishing runners-up at Guangzhou 2010 and Jakarta-Palembang 2018.
-- BERNAMA
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